The Wadsworth Center Bacteriology Laboratory serves as the New York State public health reference laboratory for bacterial identification and research. The laboratory is responsible for the identification of bacterial pathogens of public health significance.

The mission of the laboratory includes continued efforts in applied research to investigate the latest technological advances as well as to maintain testing capabilities necessary for identifying and characterizing emerging infectious diseases and responding to outbreaks.

The unique public health services offered include many molecular methods that are often developed in-house and are important for rapid bacterial identification and characterization.

Another role the laboratory plays is the continued education of clinical laboratory personnel through various seminars, workshops, and training opportunities.